Straw-stacker



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J. L. WHITFIELD.

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STRAW STAGKER.

No. 368,037. Patented Aug. 9, 17887.

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STRAW STAGKER;

No. 368,037. Patented Aug. 9, 1387.-

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STRAW STAGKER. No. 368,037. v Patented Aug. 9, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orr ou.

JAMES L. \VHITFIELD, OF DOROHESTER, ILLINOIS.

STRAW-STACKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,037, dated August9, 1887. application filed January 15, 1887. Serial No. 224,454. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, JAMES L. WHITFIELD, of Dorchester, in the county ofMacoupin and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Straw-Staekers, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specificatiomand in which Figure I is a side viewof the improved straw-stacker, showing the straw-elevator in its lowerposition, the machine being in condition for moving from place to place.FigJII is an end elevation with the parts in position shown in Fig. I.Fig. III is an enlarged section at III III, Fig. II. Fig. IV is an endview with the straw-elevator somewhat raised to exhibit parts of themechanism more clearly than they are seen in Fig. II. Fig. Vis an en:larged detail of part of the gearing. Fig. VI is a horizontal section atVI VLFig. IV. Fig. VII is a horizontal section at VII VII, Fig. IV. Fig.VIII is an enlarged longitudinal section at VIII VIII, Fig. VI. Figs. IXand X are diagrams, showing the straw-elevator, respectively, in itsupper and lower positions.

The machine is for use with athrashing-machine or grain-separator, asusual, the strawelevator being operated by connection with the thrasher.

1 and 2 are respectively the foreand hind wheels supporting thetruck-body, which has longitudinal timbers 3 and cross-timbers I.

5 is a string-bolster bolted to or otherwise attached to thelongitudinal timbers.

6 is a strong post attached to the bolster 5, and which forms thebearing upon which the upper works turn. The post 6 has a shoulder, 7,above'which it has a cylindrical part forming the pintle upon whichturns the cross-bar 8. Thebar S has at the ends trunnions 9,which extendthrough the curved slots 10 of the castings 11. The castings 11 aresecured to the side frames of the straw elevator. Each side frame iscomposed of three bars, 12, 13, and 14., secured together, as shown, orin any suitable manner.

15 is the extension of the straw-carrier frame, connected by hinges 16with the main part,so that it may be extended when in use, or'

may be folded back on the main part, as seen in Fig. 1, when not in use.

17 is a metal or other frame forming the front part of thestraw-elevator frame.

The trunnions 9 have bearings in links 18, jointed at 19 to the sidebars, 12. The joints 19are concentric with the curved slots 10, so thatthe castings move on the trunnions without binding.

20 is a shaft having bearing in hangerbrackets 21, secured tothecross-bar 3. This shaft carries four drums, 22 22 23 23.

24 is a ratchet-wheel fastupon the shaft,and 25 is a pawl engaging thewheel and preventing the. backward rotation of the shaft. The end of theshaft is formed at 26 to receive a hand-crank by which it is turned.

27 is a chain, cord, or cable,whose ends are secured to and coiled onthe drums 22. From these drums the cord passes to and around pulleys 28,having bearing in the frame 17. The middle parts of the cord extend toand around the pulley 29, attached to a cog-wheel, 30, which has bearingon the extended base of the post 6, and is firmly attached to the bar 8by braces 31. It will be understood that when the shaft 20 is turned soas to wind up the cord 27 on the drums 22 the end of the elevatorframewhich is lowermost when the parts are in operative position will bedrawn downward and the other end elevated, the frame swinging verticallyon the trunnions 9.

It will be seen that the elevator-frame is pivoted some distance fromits lower extremity, the object being to afford the requisite leveragefor elevating its other end.

On the drums 23 of the shaft 20 are coiled cords, ropes, chains, orcables 32, which extend upward from the drums and over pulleys 33,suspended from the bar 8. From the pulleys 33 the cords extend to andaround the pulleys 34,suspended from the elevator-frame, and from thepulleys 34.. Each cord 32 extends around a'pulley, 35, connected to thelower end of the link 18 upon each side of the elevator-frame. From thepulleys the cord extends to a staple, 36, on the side of theelevator-frame. The construction is such that when the shaft 20 isturned forward the cords are wound upon all four drums, 22 22 23 23, andthe elevator-frame simultaneously tilted upon the trunnions 9 and movedbodily forward and upward on the trunnions as the castings 11 move uponthe trunnions, owing to the strain upon the cords 32, by which thestaples 36 are drawn toward the trunnions 9, so that the trunnions movein the slots 10 from the position shown in Figs. I and IX toward theposition shown in Fig. X. To allow the elevatorto subside into theposition shown in Fig. I, the pawl 25 is raised from the ratchetwheel24. and the cords 27 and 32 allowed to uneoil from their drums by thebackward rotation of the shaft 20. lVhen the elevator is in its lowerposition its free end is supported by a standard-frame, 37.

38 is the main shaft of the machine, carrying a pulley, 39, havingbelt-c0nnecti0n with a pulley on a rotating shaft of the thrasher. Theshaft 38 carries a bevel cog-wheel, 40, which engages a bevel-pinion,41, on a vertical shaft, 42, passing axially through the post 6. Theupper end of the shaft 42 carries a bevel-wheel, 43, which engages abevel-pinion, 44, upon a shaft, 45, which extends through one of thetrunnions 9 and carries a belt-pulley, 46. The belt 47 extends over twotightening-pulleys, 48 and 49, and to and around a pulley, 50, upon theshaft 51, by which the endless carrier of the elevator is driven. Nonovelty is claimed in this endless carrier or the means of driving it,and for that reason it is not shown.

Upon the vertical shaft 42'is a gear-screw, 52, which engages a screwgear-wheel,53,upon a shaft, 54-. The shaft 54. carries a spur-pinion,55, which engages a spur-wheel, 56, upon the crankshaft 57. Thecrank-shaft 57 has endwise movement to allow the engagement ordisengagement of the wheels 55 and 56. This endwise movement is given bya lever, 58, which has a usual connection with the shaft, so as to allowthe free rotation of the shaft. The lever fulcrum is shown at 59. Theshaft has a cireumferentially-grooved wheel, 60, and the forked end 61of the lever engages in the groove of the wheel for the purposedescribed.

62 is a crank-arm attached to a disk, 63, on the shaft 57. This arm hasa longitudinal slot, 64.

65 are screws which pass through the slot 64 and screw into the crankdisk or head on the shaft 57. By loosening the screws 65 the crank-armmay be adjusted on the disk so as to fix the wrist-pin 66 at a less orgreater dis tanee from the center of the disk, and thus diminish orincrease the throw of the crank.

67 is a connecting-rod connecting the wristpin 66 with a wrist-pin, 68,upon the bevel cog-segment 69 upon the rock-shaft 70. The bevel-segmentengages a cog-pinion, 71, on a vertical shaft, 72, carrying at its upperend a cog-wheel, 73, engaging the cog-wheel 30.

The operation of the stacker is as follows: The machine is put inposition for the straw from the thrasher to fall upon the elevator andthe free end of the elevator raised to the re quired height. The mainshaft 38 is made to turn, and motion from this is communicated to thestraw-carrier of the elevator. The elevator is caused to rotate back andforth on its pivot-post 6 by means of the crank 62, connecting-rod 67,cog-segment 69, cog-pinion 71, and cog-wheels 73 30, for it will be seenthat the reciprocating motion of the cog-segment on its shaft as an axiswill give the required reciprocating motion to the elevator on the post6 as an axis. The distance which the elevator is made to swing isregulated by the length of the crank 62.

It will be understood that as the crank revolves at a low speed, it isdriven by the screw-gear 52 53 and train of cog-wheels arranged toreduce the speed, so that the elevator travels slowly from side to sideand deposits the straw in a curve concentric with the post 6. To stopthe side movement of the elevator the crank-shaft is moved endwise todisengage the cog-wheels 55 and 56.

Any well-known clutch mechanism may be used in place of that describedfor disconnecting the crank-shaft 57 from its actuating mechanism.

I claim herein as new and of my invention-- 1. In astraw-stacker, thecombination, with the base and the elevator-frame, of links pivoted attheir upper extremities to the sides of the elevator-frame some distancefrom its end which is lowermost when in operative position, and turningat their lower extremities on suitable trunnions, ropes attached to saidframe below its pivotal point, and a Windlass upon which said chains orropes are wound, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the elevator-frame, of the links 18, hinged attheir upper extremities to the said frame some distance from the endthereof which is lowermost when in operative position, the fixedtrunnions 9, upon which the lower ends of said links turn, the ropes 32,secured to the elevator-frame below its pivotal point and extendingforward, guidepulleys 35, over which said ropes pass, and the Windlassupon which said chains or ropes are wound, substantially as set forth.

3. The elevator-frame, supported on trunnions 9, extending throughcurved slots 10 of the frame, links 18, pivoted to the frame andstrapped to the trunnions, and cords connected with the ends of the arms18, through which the trunnions pass, and to winding-drums, all combinedsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of a shaft having drums, as 22 and 23, and cordsarranged to wind on the drums and extending, respectively, to theextension 17 of the frame and to side arms, 18, by which theelevator-frame 12 13 14. is con neeted to trunnions secured to theturningbeam 8, said trunnions passing through slots 10 of theelevator-frame, substantially as and for the purpose set fortl 5. Thecombination, with the pivot-post 6, mounted to turn upon the main frame,and the elevator-frame pivotally supported thereby and projecting at itslower end beyond said post, of a Windlass carried by said post, a ropesecured to the shaft 51 of the endless carrier,

secured at its ends to said Windlass, pulleys 28,

secured to the elevator-frame near its lower extremity and over whichsaid rope passes, and centrically with the pivoted point 19, the belt- 1the pulley 29, anchored to the post 6 and over tightening pulley 49,situated substantially as which the middle portion of said rope or chainshown, and the belt 47, passing over or around passes, substantially asset forth.

- 6. The combination, with the trunnions 9, the links 18, turningthereon at their lower ends, the elevator-frame pivoted at 19 to theupper ends of said links, and the pulley 50,

of the pulley 45,journaled concentrically with the trunnions 9, thepulley 48, journaled consaid pulleys, substantially as set forth.

JAMES L. WHITFIELD. \Vitnesses:

J. H. BROWN, VM. H. WHITFIELD.

